All eyes on Ansah as sidelined Malawi VP takes stage at pastors’ wives conference

All eyes will be on Vice President Jane Ansah on Wednesday when she takes to the stage as guest of honour and keynote speaker at a major church conference — with many watching closely to see whether she uses the platform to address her increasingly public sidelining by government.

The Vice President’s appearance comes amid mounting speculation over her diminishing role within the administration, with critics and sympathisers alike keen to see whether the embattled leader will use her time at the podium to speak out — or continue her studied silence on the political storm swirling around her.

Ansah is set to headline Christ-Citadel International Church’s (CIC) International Pastors’ Wives Conference, which opens Wednesday at the church’s Area 47 Sanctuary in Lilongwe.

The two-day gathering will bring together pastors’ wives and female church leaders from Malawi, Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom, under the theme “Called to Serve and Strengthened to Stand,” drawn from Philippians 1:27.

Organising committee chairperson Evangelist Catherine Chirwa said the conference aims to equip pastors’ wives with practical ministry skills while fostering unity, mentorship and spiritual growth among delegates.

Discussions will span a wide range of topics affecting women in ministry, including serving with righteousness and integrity, strengthening unity between pastors and their spouses, mentorship, personal grooming and wellness, understanding church governance, and balancing family, ministry and professional responsibilities.

While the conference itself carries no political agenda, Ansah’s appearance is likely to be scrutinised closely regardless, given her recent exclusion from Cabinet meetings and mounting public sympathy over what many now view as her deliberate marginalisation within government. Whether she chooses to address any of it directly, even obliquely, from the pulpit remains to be seen — but few expect her Wednesday appearance to pass without close political attention.